Government in action: inaction, need better focus

January 20, 2008

Enough already. South Dakota legislators need to put the kibosh on the introduction of misguided or frivolous bills that everyone knows will go nowhere, even though they will take valuable time away from more pressing issues. Lawmakers should consider themselves gatekeepers. They should be watchful guardians of the types of bills generated. Furthermore, both elected officials and the voting public should beware of glad handing people pleasers. These are the types of lawmakers who will waste the Legislature's valuable time with trivial proposals just to please a squeaky wheel in their district. Here's a quick sampling of pieces of legislation that should never have seen the light of day this session:

HB1208 would require the S.D. Game, Fish and Parks Department to pay people $200 if they hit wild animals with their car. This sure sounds like a waste of money and an invitation for target practice all rolled in to one bill. Everyone knows it isn't going to happen. Why waste time on it? According to the 2006 S.D. Department of Public Safety Report, in Brown County alone there were a total of 306 vehicle crashes attributed to animals. That's $61,200 that would be paid out just in Brown County. Nonsense.

HB1138 would make it illegal to use fake degrees to get hired, get job promotions or gain admission to college. Sure, passing off a fake degree is a dishonest and rotten thing to do, but it is a business' responsibility to perform due diligence to protect itself from these sorts of frauds. Legislators have more important things to work on.

SB67 would've required all South Dakota students who attended an accredited high school to apply to a college or technical school before graduation. While the intent might have been good, the reality is that legislating this sort of activity is way beyond the scope of what government should be doing. The bill was killed in committee, but not before educators from across the state wasted time and money traveling to Pierre to discuss it. The people who introduce these sorts of bills aren't using good judgment. Granted, sometimes the intent is good - as in the idea of trying to make sure high school students apply to college - but even so, the venue is wrong. Other times, however - as in the case of asking a state already strapped for cash to pay each person who hits a deer with his vehicle $200 - the ideas are just plain dumb. Time is a finite commodity for South Dakota's Legislature, as is money. Lawmakers face tough decisions every year. The results of those decisions affect the lives of every person in this state. Wasting time on misguided or frivolous legislation is more than just a shame. It's ridiculous.